Obir Dripstone Caves

The Obir Dripstone Caves form an underground passage beneath the mountain where water has carved chambers and deposited mineral formations over millions of years. Visitors walk through these natural rooms and encounter countless stone shapes hanging from ceilings and rising from floors in various sizes and colors.

Workers digging for lead ore in 1870 found this cave system beneath the mountain. The stone formations developed gradually over a period of around 200 million years as water and minerals moved through the rock.

The cave system incorporates multimedia presentations at different stations to educate visitors about geological processes and natural cave development.

To visit this site you take a shuttle bus from the lower town area up the mountain to reach the cave entrance. Wear sturdy footwear since the paths inside are uneven and sometimes steep.

A rare beetle lives in the caves that exists nowhere else in the world and has adapted completely to total darkness by losing its eyes. This creature shows how life can change when cut off from sunlight for countless generations.

Location: Eisenkappel-Vellach

GPS coordinates: 46.50940,14.54830

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:54